Bound in Curse
by McDiggity
Summary: In an unexpected turn of events, Beast Boy gives his life to save Raven from a surprisingly ruthless Dr. Light. She does everything in her power to save the boy, but does she succeed? How is his apparent death affecting the team?


So, I was deeply inspired by a request given to ExNativo a while ago. This story is my idea of born from the request that he was given, and his work formed the final shape.

...

The world seemed to be the surface of the sun, just behind the blue sorceress as she was knocked hard from the stream of light. Landing hard, she wondered how the laser had missed. She was baffled to find that Doctor Light was no longer fearing the demon, and shocked more so that he didn't hesitate to banter whatsoever. She had taken her form and threatened his sanity, but his only reaction was to aim straight at her with a giant laser and fire. This was a new light for sure, but what she couldn't figure out was what, or who had saved her life just then.

Regaining her footing, she gazed at their enemy to asses her next move. Robin was busy bullying the foes movements with concussive disks and Starfire was blasting at the psycho's tech. Where were Cyborg and Beast Boy? A glance from where she had been answered her question.

There lying on the burnt grass and dirt was a deeply charred Beast Boy with a frantic one armed Cyborg trying his best to read any sort of life signs from the body below him. He was yelling something, but Ravens ears were bringing forth no sound. The world remained quiet to her as chaos ensued. Chaos and death. The empath ran through silence to the downed titan before her, paying no mind to the remaining threat of a fearless Light. Cyborg was continuing to yell at her, but she couldn't make out one word. Her eyes drifter to the hand that was defibrilating her friends chest, and words were no longer needed. The readings were bad on Cyborgs arm. No, they weren't even readings. The body before them was all but completely dead.

Ravens magics reacted without a thought. Out of nowhere her energy began spreading from her body to Beast Boys, retaining what little life remained in his slight form. Tendrils began to spread and a bookstore nearby urst open with a flood of books: old, new, magazines, and empty journals. A plain leather bound journal, devoid of words but average in size, landed into Ravens glowing, outstretched hand. Words of power fell from her lips.

"Alduron, enlenthrenel, throsolo lenus nor!"

The book began to glow bright. The white, pure light engulfing the empath and the body before her. Power rushed frantically through the tips of her fingers, the tingling in her nerves the only indication that this was dark magic. Something she had sworn off forever. But maybe she could preserve his life until they could gather enough medical equipment and expertise to save him. And that was all she cared for now. To save Beast Boy was a priority beyond any vow she had ever taken.

The light began to fade, and with it so did she. Emotionally and physically she began to collapse forward, wondering if it had worked. The black corpse before her told her it hadn't. With a single tear sliding down her cheek, blackness engulfed her.

...

The medical bay was never a pleasant place to wake up. Raven was awoken to the scent of chemicals and to the sound of machines. Not much seemed to happen in this room, the florescent lamps buzzing and the machines whirring. Most days it was so quiet here you could hear a pin drop through the sound proofed walls. Today was an exception to the quiet. Gently to her right she could hear weeping, strong and true mourning. To make matters worse, she knew exactly why they were crying. They had lost a Titan. Steeling her emotions, Raven drifted lower to her bed as she ceased her healing trance. With a swing of her feet, the sorceress turned to approach the other bunk. Cyborgs large form blocked her view as he came forward and drew her into the tightest hug she had ever received.

"Don't look."

It seemed too quiet, too raw and simple a request to fit the large Titan. All his pain and protectiveness wrapped the words, but they both knew she wouldn't obey the order. Gently removing his damaged appendages, from her shoulders and made her way around his stance. The first thing Raven saw was Starfires eyes. She had been crying so hard that her irritating wipes of tears left her eyes puffy and swelled like a peach. Robin looked no better. His fisted gloves were soaked in blood, and one of his thumbs had obviously fractured. The mask on his face, irremovable by most means, had been washed off at the bottom by tears. The wall behind the leader was adorned with heavy dents and scuffs of blood where he had been punching it. The worst sight, though, was the corpse lain on the bunk before her.

What remained of Beast Boy's flesh was the color of charcoal. His once scruffy hair was all but gone in a few short tufts, patches in between showing the white skull beneath. One cheek of his face was gone, burned to cinders revealing the pearly whites of his fangs, and the other shown the tendons that had once controlled his grin. Below his face was covered by a linen sheet, and Raven was all to thankful as she didn't know if she could handle any more of the sight. She wished she had heeded Cyborgs warning. But she needed to see. Robin began speaking as Cyborg ushered out a frantic Starfire, apparently to talk with Raven.

"Light got away."

Raven didn't have the strength to even get angry. "Oh."

"What were you doing out there? We could have used your power." The Boy Wonder pushed. He was just as weary as her, and there was no spite to his words.

"I... I was trying to save Beast Boy."

Robins head sunk as more tears rushed down his face. "Cyborg says he was dead before he hit the ground. There was nothing you could do. That he was yelling for you to help us catch that bastard."

Raven hugged herself tightly. "I couldn't hear. All I saw was his mouth moving and a flat-line on his arm."

Both of the teens were beginning to break during this debriefing. "I don't care. I'm glad that our teammates life was your first priority. It should have been mine."

"Robin, you still had to protect this city, and the lives of us three. Fending him off was just as necessary as any medical skills you have."

Robin shrugged his shoulders and glanced at his dead friend. "But I could have done something. Anything." The bird looked halfheartedly back to the empath. "His damage was Extensive. What kind of spells were you using, I've never seen you use so much power at once before."

Raven shook again, then there was a long pause. "I don't know." Was all she could say.

"What do you mean you don't know?" The Boy wonder looked offended that she would generalize saving their teammates life like that.

"I mean that I just lost control and started healing as much as I could. And that when that wasn't working I tried my best to..."

"Best to what, Raven?"

"... To preserve his body so that we could prepare. Get some professionals and equipment. Something more than the curb of a street." She answered.

Robin waited for a long time, looked from Beast Boy's remains to Raven. "Well, it didn't work..." He couldn't say anymore as he trudged to the entrance of the medical bay. "... I'm sorry."

Raven began to weep into her hands. The world around her began to metaphorically and physically shatter. Wisps of darkness grasped the fragile equipment around her, flinging glass and medical tubing with reckless abandon. A metal tray flew to her right, a bedpan to her left, and all the monitors in the room began to crack. It wasn't until a book hit her ankle that she realized she was losing control. Opening her eyes again, Raven gazed around the room to see all of the chaos halted in motion. Her dark energy still held everything, appearing frozen in time. With a heavily struggled sigh, the empath reached for the journal she had attempted to save her comrade in as the room fell back into place.

Within a few steps the room was back to its origins, save a few cracks and dents in the materials. Further, as Raven left the door, she glanced back to the corpse of her... Their once great friend. With a swift fade of black, the sheet covering his torso was brought above his forever sleeping head. The tears were finally under her control now as she thought of ow he chose to give up his future for her, whom had been born without one. Was it reflex that caused him to give his life? Duty?... Love? She would probably never know. All she would know is that he gave her a gift that none other could compare. And that she couldn't ever thank him properly.

Finally closing the door, Raven turned her attention to the longest, quietest walk to her room she would ever endure.

...

The young hero's funeral had been almost immediate. It only took two days to arrange a mass on the beach of the island. Beast Boys remains had been cremated and spread along the island shore of Titans Tower. The entire team was mourning for months, each in their own way. Cyborg had isolated himself in the garage and locked the door. Starfire had eaten nothing but her pudding of sadness, and while it was a disgusting sight, she began healing faster than any other member of the Titans. Raven didn't act much different, with the exception that she all but refused to talk. Finally, Robin had taken up wearing a black and green band on his left arm. Eventually, the four of them became comfortable in their new environment. It was quiet, efficient, and some would even say professional.

The end of such a day was coming for Raven. She had finally shared a full conversation with Starfire, whom had joyfully inquired her well being. When Raven had responded with a simple "Quite well." The alien had engulfed her, rambling on about how they needed to catch up on their time of girls, going to the mall of shopping, and spending more time with Cyborg and Robin. The orange girl st the time of healing was over, and that as a team they should move on for he whom shall not be named's sake. Raven had obliged to finally be a part of a movie night, and the Tameranian had run off squealing with joy.

Raven smirked at the return of her healthy, joyful friend Starfire. She was right, it's been too long, and it was time to return to what they knew as normal. A brisk stroll later, and she was in front of her. She didn't have much time, but a brief meditation was in order if she were to spend the late hours of the night watching comedies, chick flicks, and action films until she couldn't watch anymore. She floated quickly to her nightstand reaching into the lower shelves for her mirror. When her fingers contacted with leather, she assumed she had the handle. She pulled until it was in view. The leather was not that of her mirrors hilt. Betwixt her fingers hung the blank book that should have saved her friends life. The simple brown cover and blank pages brought back a heavy grief that she closed off deep in her heart.

Ravens eyes fell and she breathed a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry." She said to the book, for another of her uncountable apologies she had for her failure. Sitting onto her bed, the empath held the empty journal held no answer for her, it was simply a reminder that she had failed her friend. It should have held-

"Ra... ven?"


End file.
